


The Vanishing

by MagicHats-fr (MagicHats)



Category: Flight Rising, Original Work
Genre: Clan Lore (Flight Rising), Nature Flight (Flight Rising)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:48:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 7,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26810914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagicHats/pseuds/MagicHats-fr
Summary: The Nature clan known as Clan Ibiliven are a tenuously stable lot to begin with. Will having swaths of dragons leaving and returning for their own interests (be it politics or otherwise) be enough to cause the clan to fall apart?---A lore arc involving my main clan that occurred over the course of several years in real time. I figured it would be good for accessibility / have my lore be somewhere else than tumblr. It's also neat to see my writing improve over the course of the fiction.





	1. The Invitation

**Author's Note:**

> The clan gets an invitation and a group of three decide for the good of the clan to attend the occasion.

> “To whom it may concern
> 
> The Ibiliven clan would like to formally accept the invitation to the Masquerade ball. I, Aku will be attending the ball with some company. One of them is a representative who will be attending alongside me in order to get into contact with more clans that may want alliances, like clan Karyukai for example. The other will be a well trained warrior who will be functioning as a personal guard, just in case something dire were to happen.
> 
> Until we meet, 
> 
> ~Aku of the leading council of Clan Ibiliven.”

The trio approached the ball quietly.

“Do you think they got the correspondence letter? I really hope they did.”

“It’ll be fine Taiale. We have our masks and it _is_ an open invitation.”

Aku adjusted his outfit. It was the best he could do on a short notice. It was some simple formal pieces that were dark brown, to go along with his selected mask (a wooden one that was fashioned to look like a blooming strangler). He did fidget with the green cape he normally wore, trying to conceal the mushrooms that grew on him. 

He was much like a fish out of water, this being one of the few times he took to his more humanoid form. The alchemist and council member was almost entirely out of his element.

It was just as awkward for Taiale, but for different reasons. She wore a ball gown that matched her colors and her selected mask, an ornate looking mask that resembled a Roc. Most of the outfit was ornate and sleek like the mask.

“But what if they don’t _like_ us? What if—” Taiale started, speaking in a nervous low whisper.

“It’ll be _fine_. I chose you for a reason. If we tried to haul Troublante to this ball she wouldn’t have worn anything _appropriate_. It’d be a pain enough just to get her to wear anything else _besides_ her Gladekeeper Regalia.”

Aku said this while giving the skydancer a pat on her shoulder. Nesaini, on the other hand, practically scampered off to mingle with the others at the party. Her Aviar mask fit well with her outfit, a much simpler blue ball gown that went with her few armor pieces. She was the smallest out of the three, even in human form, but perhaps the strongest out of the three. Who would suspect such a small and friendly tundra was fully capable of fighting off beastclans and powerful beasts alike. It was hard to forget the stories of her fending off mantarunes and other unsightly things along the coast.

Before Taiale could begin again, Aku started to lead her into the ballroom. Perhaps all it took to convince her (and himself to an extent) that this would work out was a little push in the right direction.


	2. Conspiring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A pair of skydancers plot to undermine the clan while some important dragons are dealing with other affairs.

“So you’re telling me, that those dragons are _too busy arguing with each other_ to notice the inherent danger of doing _that?_ ” Cassandra remarked to the other skydancer. 

It was the best time to hold this meeting, since those that would suspect him of anything were away.

“I’m _positive_.” Theriach replied. 

Cassandra could _feel_ that he wasn’t lying.

“Really? They don’t think that the emperor they have _sitting out in the open_ is _actually dangerous_?”

“Most of the dragons don’t even know that it’s anything more than a fancy ice sculpture. The very few that know otherwise are fairly committed to keeping it that way,”

She looked at the older skydancer. He was an experienced thief and it was a wonder she managed to pull the treasure together to even start this. Tehtal would have to thank her later for this.

“Besides, with the amount of ice dragons in that clan, it’s possibly easy to maintain that facade,”

She hummed in reply to his statement. It was a figurative dance they were performing, reading each other’s feelings and emotions in an unspoken conversation.

She’d gleaned enough to wager that there was a smaller power struggle within the decently sized clan. Aku wanted to lead Ibiliven to a more social existence rather than the obscure self-sustaining clan they were now. Duke was suspecting something wasn’t quite right about most of the clan’s attitudes, and had seemingly built up quite a resistance to that spore Aku employed often to keep everyone _calm_ and _easily persuaded_. 

In her opinion she was surprised the _great Ibiliven clan_ hadn’t imploded by now with how long this struggle was brewing. It’d be easy enough to tug a string loose.

“I’m going to guess that there’s a way to get the ball rolling, isn’t there?”

“Yes. There’s an older fae. She’s rumored to be very powerful. She could probably undo all their hard work and at least _temporarily_ control the Emperor. All of it’s heads are rumored to be ice dragons after all.” Theriach stated.

He then hesitated for a moment.

“That… doesn’t come without a price though. She’s got her own motives and desperately wants several hatchlings of her own to rear. They say she’d probably suck all their souls out, but you know how rumors go.”

“If that clan is in possession of unhatched eggs, and i’d wager they are with some of the clan’s _less talked about_ habits, than let her have those.” She replied.

Clan Helawen wouldn’t have any need for those. _Tehtalretiel already had enough on his shoulders for a clan leader._ If anything it would be for the better of both parties.

“You did bring what I asked you, right?” she asked, tilting her head a little to the side.

“Sort of… I didn’t want to _directly_ steal any of his fur. Y’know how familial vendettas in tundra families and clans start up, right? ‘Figured it’d be safer to get something that he _shed_ and not something _I ripped right out of him_.”

“Thanks. You know what to do know.” Cassandra said, in a cheerful tone.

The unspoken statement behind that was well understood by both parties. He could very well leave now, or leave later. His end of the deal had been fulfilled. She had held up her end and then some, providing him with a decent amount of treasure to sustain himself should he opt out of staying with Clan Helawen.

“One last thought, though,” Theriach said, pausing to look at Cassandra.

“There’s a tundra in the clan called Dream. He seems to be a promising mage. The sort that is great at _warping reality_ and whatever it is dragons call _that kind_ of magic. Should things start _really getting out of hand_ , he could very well contain them. I know you have that spiral, but it’s just a thought, should you not have some sort of fail-safe to keep your clan safe,”

“I’ll keep that in mind should Gau’s ability alone fail Clan Helawen.”


	3. A bad day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ridgeback known as Duke has a particularly bad day.

Duke wasn’t having a good day.

First, Aku decides to leave for that pompous ball and takes that small entourage with him.

Then the rest of the leading council abruptly leave.

And then there was a beastclan raid, the surprisingly large offended clan demanding something. It seemed Aku was involved in some sort of shifty activity and this had been the last straw.

Then Kira… _Kira took advantage of the situation._

Duke groaned to himself. 

On one hand, leading was practically in his grasp and is still within an arm’s length. On the other hand, more and more dragons were dying. The raid had taken it’s toll

“Get yourself together!”

The abrupt shout, and getting slapped by an approaching coatl snapped him from his train of thought. It was easy to silence all the commotion’s noise in his head, but this sort of physical contact was enough to ground him again, metaphorically speaking.

“We need to leave, now!”

“But Duke, what of the others?” Ark responded, venom practically dripping from those words. 

“Forget them!” He shouted back over the noises of destruction. Blocking out the noises of the emperor currently causing chaos among the lair (and it’s immediate surroundings). He almost didn’t notice the other coatl approach.

“Ark _sir_. What do we do?” Bernward asked in an almost flat but rushed tone. 

Duke glanced between the two as they conversed in a different tongue. Duke could never understand the fairly discordant sounding native tongue the Coatl have, but succinctly appreciated that the two did know common draconic.

He noticed some movement out of the corner of his eye and slammed the two dragons down with him as he hit the ground.

A large mangle of wings swooped by over head, crashing up ahead with a sickening crunch. The emperor had attempted (and failed) to fly, carrying a few dragons and beastclan creatures in it’s mouth. 

“Y’know what. This is _good_ ,”

“What?!” both of the coatl shouted, practically in unison.

“This will purge any of the dragons that could possibly still be loyal to that damned hierarchy. This is a cleansing that should be embraced! You know the few warriors remaining that are loyal to him won’t fight that wretched creature. We can sort out what happens to them after our lair is clean from those who wouldn’t follow my rule.” Duke said in an oddly triumphant tone.

The two coatl stared at the larger ridgeback, completely slack-jawed.

It was going to be quite a while before Aku and his small entourage returned to see that the rest of the leading council abruptly fled. It would take even longer for Aku to straighten things out and clean up the mess, with how much was destroyed and lost in the chaos. 

He’d only returned because he heard word that the Gladekeeper had shown herself in the battle with subduing the emperor. The last thing he expected was that the emperor had all but destroyed his clan. It was even more unfortunate that he would arrive so late due to becoming further _sidetracked._


	4. Arguments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duke has taken charge to try to keep the clan together out of his own interest. This isn't ignored by some of the more physically powerful dragons within Clan Ibiliven.

“You should keep an eye on your men, some don’t look the same,” Voraldath grumbled in a dark resonating tone.

“What would you know, _wretched thing_.” Duke spat back. It was easy to assume that the imperial he was speaking to growled everything, since his voice was as deep and dark as a forgotten tomb. He didn’t trust the other, and frankly didn’t know why he still remained. He was sure he drove off those few and far between supporters of Aku who hadn’t abruptly left before chaos fell to the lair.

“I’d think he might be on to something. We still don’t know how many dragons are still remaining after that wreck, which _you didn’t do anything about—_ ” Ark started.

“Well it’s _your_ job, not mine.” Duke interrupted.

“If _you’re_ the leader now, you’re actually going to have to _do something_ about all of this unless you want someone else challenging you for your role, now that you’ve apparently “ _won_ ” the role off of Aku! If you even call all of that _winning_!” Ark said, raising his voice after each sentence.

“Fight me then! I’m _unarmed_ ,” Duke said, sarcasm resonating from the words.

Ceallach said nothing, watching the argument break out between the two. The few and far between warriors that still remained were loyal to Ark, who was in turn loyal to Aku. He was one of the few that didn’t fall under Ark’s command.

Most of the other warriors backed up and had formed a bit of a circle around the bickering dragons. He spotted Dream, a newcomer who had shown up in the midst of the chaos. He was one of a few, that he figured was coming in through the figurative curtain of vines. 

If the rumors he had heard were true, Aku would have a much larger mess to be coming back to. It was something alone to hear that Ohm, the current reigning patriarch of the clan was leaving on important family business. It was another to hear that he was leaving and taking _more_ than just the rest of the leading council, or even the Peacevine branch.


	5. Most disputes die

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Duke gets knocked down a peg, or in which we find out that Duke’s a relatively small ridgeback. 
> 
> ((aka after looking at my dragons' size stats, I only just now realize Duke is a little on the tiny side compared to my other ridgebacks))

“It’s a strange thing to do, to want to come _here_.” Meztli started, in a hushed but frank tone. 

It was fairly forward, how she was pointing out this fact. Why indeed, would a plague dragon of such a reputation and bloodline, would want to come to a _nature clan_ of all clans.

Duke tried. Duke _really tried_. He really tried to keep his composure. The _nerve_ this wretched dragon had.

“You assume a lot.” he stated, trying to hide his anger.

“And you _much more_.” she replied, in a neutral tone.

It was hard, even in more convenient forms, not to be intimidated by Meztli. She was still taller than him. He hadn’t yet encountered the other in her draconic form, but he figured in that department he’d still be larger. His strength and size were the few things that helped him have power over the others in the clan, since they were _mostly_ smaller than him. Very few of the clan happened to be larger and more battle experienced than him. 

“Well? Why are you here? What do you _want_?”

“It should be obvious.” She said, flaring her wings out. Even in her more humanoid form, she still retained her spiked wings and tail.

“Is that a—” he started, before getting tackled by the other ridgeback.

The dragons that had been milling around the two stopped what they were doing to watch. She was a fierce sight, being one of the few actually attributed to driving off the emperor long enough for the Gladekeeper and her forces to intervene (which wasn’t something Meztli was _happy with_ ). The two were wrestling with each other, Meztli opting to brutally beat the other down rather than any sort of “formal” duel. 

The surrounding clan members backed off when he abruptly changed to his draconic form to pin her down. That didn’t last long.

She quickly reverted back to her dragon form, and managed to get back on her feet _fairly quickly_. It didn’t take long for Duke to be backed into a corner yet again, by the larger female. She was both larger, and had outweighed him. 

There was a distinct amount of snarling and growling as the two continued to fight each other, Duke only barely holding out against the other. With a lunge, he pried the blade from her hands and sent it skittering a few feet away from the two.

Voraldath was the one to break it up between the two, only managing to pry Meztli off with a few tactical movements. Even with that, Meztli was still screeching and clawing, attempting to “defeat” the other. The observers had briefly dispersed before regrouping a further distance away from the full-blown fight.

"I nearly _had_ him,” She practically spat, in that all too familiar tone.

“You had _**nothing**_. You can’t just attack someone and call it a duel.” Voraldath cut in, before Duke could growl anything.

“But isn’t that the rules he set up?”

“No. We’re going to stick with the old clan rules until they get back.”

“ _They aren’t coming back!_ ” Duke roared, being held back by another dragon. Voraldath had been keeping the two separated by standing between the two, but it seemed that wasn’t enough to subdue their fighting spirits.

“They are,” Voraldath started.

“They are, and when they come back, they’re going to be disappointed that you two _hatchlings_ made a mess of things.”

“Firstly,” Duke said, venom dripping from his voice. “I am _older_ than you. Second, I had _no part_ in what happened that ruined the clan lairgrounds and have left us like this.”

“Well they’ll be disappointed that some who _should know better_ isn’t _doing better_ then.” Voraldath remarked before leaving. Meztli decided then to take her leave, along with the observing dragons. There was nobody left but Duke.

No one was left but Duke, to think about the whole affair of running a clan.


	6. Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Or when those three who might have instigated this whole mess show up again.

“What in the gods’ names are you doing?!”

It was going to be a pretty bad day for both Duke and Aku. Why wouldn’t it be?

Aku only saw the mess that Duke had made of the clan _without any context_ for what had happened.

Duke only saw Aku coming back at his own leisure and _not taking responsibility_ for the clan at any point in time.

“What else am I to do, _dear leader_? You left, taking a good chunk of the clan with you, and left the rest of us to _rot_.” Duke spat.

“I did no such thing. My consorts were Taiale and Nesaini.” Aku retorted.

Taiale shifted uncomfortably where she stood while Nesaini went off to commingle with the rest of the few militant dragons that had shown up. The clan seemed to be in shambles, many were notably missing, and those that remained didn’t look like they were doing well. She didn’t like seeing the clan like this, and she _definitely_ wasn’t fond of arguments.

“Where else have the Peacevine dragons _gone_ then? Most of them, save your lot and I are simply _gone_.” Duke growled, spreading his arms out wide as if to reveal some mysterious truth.

“ _I didn’t take them!_ I know I was gone for some time, but me and my group were trying to help a smaller, impoverished clan out of a bad situation. How was I to know—”

“So you admit that you left us, the clan you were born and raised in, to die?!” Duke snarled, cutting off the Tundra mid-sentence.

“And for what, some smaller little clan? Another notch for your belt?” he continued.

Aku was left speechless. He went to say something, but stopped. 

The pause lengthened for a time, before he spoke again.

“It would have been what _my father_ would have wanted. I know I’m _not_ him, but i’m trying to make something out of this backwoods clan. If you cared about it, you would do the same.”

This got a good response from the surrounding dragons. Duke furrowed his brow.

“Fine. But don’t get too comfortable. Things _have_ changed since you left. If you really are going to be committed about this, you’re going to have to be responsible for it.”

Duke said as he walked away, along with the now dispersing crowd. He only turned around again to simply state

“Let the Gladekeeper herself have mercy on you.”


	7. Growth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Or The clan finally gets some answers for why an entire chunk of the clan abruptly left with no explanation.
> 
> (Also; nobody expects the nature inquisition)

“Father? Where have you—"

Ohm pushed past Aku, first going to the rest of the assembled clan. It wasn’t hard to spot a large group of airborne dragons, even in the dense foliage of the Viridian Labyrinth. It was even easier to spot them when they all landed in unison in front of the clan’s lair. Most of the remaining dragons that had gone missing after Aku had left was in his entourage, a good number of these dragons (at least to Aku’s knowledge) being very much important figures within Clan Ibiliven.

Aku hid a small growl, a frown forming on his face when it became apparent that there were _**more**_ than just the missing dragons from Clan Ibiliven. A good number of extra Tundras were part of Ohm’s returning group, these ones being lighter in fur color and smelling similar, yet foreign all the same. It put him ill at ease. 

“I have traveled far with my entourage, and I bring news.”

“News?” Duke asked, about to further grill the older Tundra before being cut off.

“Gather the whole Clan. This concerns _all of us_.”

* * *

“We need to band together. There is a storm coming.”

“A storm, what—"

“We may be very well headed headlong into _war_. We’ll need to make sure we are ready when the time comes.”

“War? With who?” A dragon in the assembled crowd that was the Clan Ibiliven, or perhaps the Kingdom of Ibiliven (for those who would belive it to be a kingdom).

“With _all_ ” Ohm said

“Do you mean with the Plague flight? We couldn’t have done anything to warrant such a threat, and what of—”

“The Armistice has been _called off_. The situation surrounding _that_ is something I have been privy to, and on top of that there are other signs. Things are destabilizing” Ohm said, cutting off Aku mid-thought and mid-sentence.

“ _Destabilizing_?” dragons in the crowd had started to question loudly.

“Yes, destabilizing,” Ohm continued “Those of us that are magically attuned can already feel the shifts in the ley lines. Those who are as attuned _as I am_ can even feel the shifts being seen in the other flights if the rumors and witness accounts aren’t believed to be fact.”

There was a quiet murmur that went through the crowd. Some of it being about the rumors that had been circulating, like treachery in the Oculus of the Eleven, and the shifting of the very winds themselves. Some of it was about the crowd of extra dragons that Ohm had brought back with him after this long trip.

“Where were you then?” Duke boldly asked.

“I was speaking of this with my few and far between extended family members. I’d hope those of you who have been around for as long as I have would know the significance of my family.” Ohm ruffled his fur, before gesturing towards the Tundras behind him.

“This clan, nay this kingdom’s namesake, Ibiliven was a very powerful figure before Nature clans had the proper time to develop into what we see today. He was a part of the early Clan Greatwood and lived long enough to see it’s destruction through. He then continued to serve in Her Grace the Gladekeeper’s name. He was a notable leader, one of the many that led war bands against Plague encroachment before the Shadow and Light flights meddled and intervened.”

Aku and Duke were not sure where Ohm was going with this lecture. Aku had known some of his parent’s heritage and had been around for much of the clan’s history, much like Duke. Neither knew very much of the Greatwood clan aside from its fall and that this Ibiliven figure was a prominent member of it.

“The Ibiliven war band then dissolved, and after some time Ibiliven himself had been gravely injured by some outsider dragon. Me and my brothers are the legacy of that, and much to their chagrin, I tried to honor that legacy with a kingdom. They attempted to take my father’s mantle, leading bands of warriors on their own.”

Ohm paused, making sure everyone in the room was paying attention and following this admittedly abridged family history lesson. 

“In light of the Armistice being called off, and in light of the Winds of change hitting the known lands, we are banding together. We know not what this will bring, but we will **_live_** if we band together under the single name of Ibiliven again. _Ibiliven himself is on the move_.”

“Didn’t you just say that he had been gravely injured? How could a long dead dragon be of any use to us?” a dragon cried out from the crowd.

“He is no ordinary dragon. It takes much more than a grave injury to even _subdue_ him, let alone those of his line. He is wise, strong, and powerful, and will likely try to reform the war band under the Gladekeeper’s service” Ohm stated in a flat tone. 

“And he will want _absolute loyalty_. We mustn’t falter now, in the face of the unknown.” One of the Tundras said, stepping forward as a hush fell over the crowd.

“I am Marafal. I can guarantee that I will not be of any threat to you, nor will my other siblings and companions, provided you are all loyal. The Greatwood clan fell due to disloyalty, and unlike them, we will not stand for such _disloyalty_.”

Aku and Duke looked at each other. The two had been joint leaders, at odds with each other but still doing the best they could do for their shared clan. These developments didn’t bode well, and neither of them were sure if Marafal’s statement was necessarily supposed to be calming, or a _thinly-veiled threat_ at every dragon present that wasn’t Nature-born. Aku had at one point confided in Duke how despite the clan’s very insular nature, it was _mild_ compared to the stories his father had told him of his uncles’ warrior bands.


	8. And No one shoots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> or a great number of things unintentionally come to light

Aku was startled when he heard the scuffle from a distance. There was growling and the sounds of things being knocked over. He started to head towards the scuffle in a midform but paused. 

There were many dragons, in the somewhat normalized bipedal forms as well as a couple of those in mid-forms, now headed towards where the scuffle was. He could now also hear the beginnings of snarls and growls, things that indicated a fairly feral sounding fight.

By the time he managed to push through the crowd towards the front, he got a good look at what was happening. He shifted seamlessly to his true form and was going to shoulder into the fight breaking out between one of the tundras and the much larger Ridgeback before the second of the pair lunged at him and quickly pinned him.

“This isn’t one of your affairs to attend to, _runt_ ” Daraugh growled, leaning all of his strength and weight into Aku, the gray tundra now squirming under him like a frightened worm.

Meanwhile, Marafal and Meztli where fighting, with the tundra putting up a surprisingly good fight against his much larger opponent. The towering Ridgeback had her back to Aku before he arrived, and didn’t bother to keep her gaze on Daraugh as he pounced past her, focused more on trying to fight Marafal. Despite the odds, it seemed that Marafal was pretty good at fighting (which was expected, given his reputation for leading a band of warriors that was well known for fighting on the Gladekeeper’s behalf).

That wasn’t to say that it was a one-sided fight at all (at least in Aku’s opinion), since it seemed more like trading blows rather than one mercilessly tearing the other to shreds. He expected as much from Meztli, given the reputation she’d built up for herself in her stay with Clan Ibiliven. Every slash she did with a claw or a tail was met with gashes in her wings, hide, and armor. 

As Marafal gave a sharp stomp on her tail, he gave a short whistle. As he backed up a pace, not minding the collateral damage he’d done to the surrounding shops. Meztli reared up, now facing the three dragons. Just as she was about to bring her weight down upon Marafal, Daraugh leapt off of him and snarled. Meztli gave a pained, strangled growl as the other tundra managed to grab her face and using his momentum, yanked her sideways. The other tundra then lunged for the shoulders, and the two very quickly managed to wrestle the imposing ridgeback to the ground.

Before he could attempt to intervene again, Meztli gave out one last screech and with a great amount of effort pushed herself up and promptly flew away in full form.

“And stay out!” One of the two pale tundras shouted.

“ _Plague-riddled fiend_ ” the other quietly rumbled

. 

As Aku bristled and jumped to his feet, the pair of tundras quite abruptly whipped around to face him. Both did so at the same time. 

“As we’ve said once before, do not meddle in our affairs.”

Aku sputtered for a brief moment. The pair both held up a paw (simultaneously) and then started to speak again.

“We know what you must be thinking” said the one.

“We had reason to suspect treason” continued the other, not missing a beat.

“Driving her off will be a boon, just not one that will become immediately apparent” they both ended in unison.

Aku growled.

“Fine. Do what you will. But should you two and your lot step out of line I will personally drive you off!”

Aku watched the pair take their leave. He certainly hoped that they were right in their intuition in driving off Meztli. At least according to Duke she had been of some help when the clan fell on hard times. Only time would tell if they were simply targeting plague dragons out of some sense of superiority, if they did have some proof of actual treason, or the worse of the three options, if they were only going to drive off dragons that were simply _battle-experienced_. The implication of the last thought was one that didn’t sit well on his mind.


	9. Spring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suddenly! Ibiliven! Also, More Gaolers are a thing?!

It had been some time since the order of druids and warriors had arrived. It’d also been some time since Ohm had made the announcement.

At this point, Aku had figured that most of the druids had shown themselves. It would only be a matter of time before the head of the order, and the clan’s namesake came himself. Assuming he is _real_.

He huffed to himself. He, among a small number of other dragons who were considered to be in _important_ roles in the clan, were all called to a meeting. One that would include Ohm, his father and current clan leader, as well as several other clan heads and the more important druids who had now camped out in the clan’s territory for a stretch of time.

He looked at the common meeting grounds, with important dragons milling about. The elemental representatives, representatives for the gatherers, and other important figures were trying to set up. The place was sparse of furniture, as it had been tradition to meet in full draconic form. Since the clan’s population varied in terms of whether or not dragons stayed in full form, used half-forms, or in small beastclan-shaped forms, they stuck to the traditions that had been set. And those traditions were set back when the clan was small and everybody remained in full forms out of practicality. This made furniture as well as lair organization in modern times a bit _complicated_ to say the least.

He glanced at his father, who had seated himself between several of the other head druids. Ohm had mentioned they were all his siblings in that they all did come from the same nest and were all reared by their father Ibiliven. He didn’t really believe he was anything more than maybe a very old Tundra.

Ohm waved him forwards and he quickly bounded over and got comfortable at his side. The other leaders begrudgingly scooted around, trying to all remain presentable.

“It seems I’m the only one who has actually _had_ a family.” Ohm muttered.

Aku nodded stiffly in agreement. While each of them were heads of some interesting clans, with Ohm’s being notable in that it _wasn’t_ entirely nature based and _solely oriented around druidic business_. Most of Clan Ibiliven’s important dragons were seated behind the small group of Tundras, who were seated in a row at the front, with Ohm being in the center and Aku to his immediate right.

He felt his father nudge him and quickly said “bow” in a decidedly _hushed_ tone.

As all of them had begun to bow, they heard some steps in the distance. Something was making it’s way through the underbrush, and it was **_loud_**.

Eventually, a broken-up shape did appear. It was large, and the one thing Aku noticed right away was the overgrown and gnarled horns this creature had. The mottled brown, orange, and grey furs stood out against the dark blues and greens that often filled the Viridian Labyrinth. There were some gasps, as plants were growing, springing up from the ground he had walked on, and then dying mere _moments_ later.

It then decided to sit, facing the crowd. Then it spoke.

“It has been some time since we have all last seen each other. Quite some time since the last meeting. “

All of the Tundras at the front nodded, with Aku giving a delayed nod.

“Ohm, I see you’ve raised a son of your own?”

“Yes, Father.” Ohm replied curtly.

“Introductions are needed then, especially to be a guest in your territory this time”

Ohm gave another nod. Aku remained seated, as did everybody else, but his brow had furrowed. This thing could only be described as the world largest and perhaps _meanest_ looking Tundras. The older creature then decided to continue his speech. There was only a slight accent to his speech so far, as if this was perhaps not his first language. A language he was still fluent in, but not the _first_.

“My name is Ibiliven. I led, and continue to lead druids and clans for the Gladekeeper herself. I’ve come to make some announcements”

With a beat of his tail, Ibiliven managed to silence the few dragons about to speak up.

“I have long been in service to the Gladekeeper and have accrued a decent amount of territory as time went on while heading a clan and containing a threatening force. The clan did fall eventually, but just before I had adopted a nest of eggs that had been orphaned due to the fight”

Aku sat there and tried to soak in as much information from this spiel as he could. It was a lot to take in.

“I then raised them as my own, and made a decision. I would leave the territories I control to them, for them to start their own clans. It is a blessing to know this one bears my name proudly. Unfortunately, this is _not_ what I’ve come to announce”

After waiting for a beat, Ibiliven continued.

“With the shifting of the elements, another thing has become apparent. More of my kind will soon enter the rest of Sornieth. It is likely with the shifting and bolstering of the elements. I am a Gaoler, and one that had been exiled from my homelands some time ago”

_What does that mean, exactly?_ Aku thought to himself. It was weird enough that Ibiliven decided to show himself now. It was weirder that this so-called “ _Gaoler_ ” had decided that this was a good thing to make an announcement about.

“I had been stripped of my elemental magic, and the Gladekeeper bestowed upon me her elemental magic. In return, I pledged my allegiance to her and have remained loyally in her service”

Aku hadn’t thought that sort of thing was possible. But the logic did follow through. Tundras did originate in the Southern Icefields after all. Any other servants of the Icewarden might look similar enough.

“I was a seeker, one who pursued a horrorbeast and was exiled for trying to ensure the job got _done_ , even if the Icewarden himself forbade me from doing it. I do not know what has happened to my brethren after my leave. But what I do know is that in the coming times, the orders may have become interested in the greater world”

Aku tried his best not to glance behind him. He could tell out of the corners of his eyes that none in the row he was sitting in dared to look anywhere else but ahead of them..

“Knowing this, I deem it in our best interests that rather than remaining as several groups that follow my will, we will all become one larger group. It will keep us from being ambushed by clans of other elements or by _lesser creatures_ ”

_That sounds ominous_ Aku thought to himself. He wondered if that meant wild animals, the beastclans, or perhaps simply dragons of other elements that were not in this clan grouping that Ibiliven was proposing.

Whatever it was that he was planning, Aku figured that this would take the clan in an entirely _different_ direction.


	10. Summer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small going on in the clan. One dragon talks another into joining Clan Ibiliven as old problems fade and heal.
> 
> ((Not really a good epilogue / wrapping up point but it’s an attempt that does include a character who will become more relevant in the next arc.))

It was an average summer day in the shrieking wilds.

It was perhaps _slightly darker_ than other regions of the Labyrinth, the jungle being denser than, say, the everbloom gardens but there was still a decent level of visibility.

Things were going well for Clan Ibiliven after the announcement its namesake made.

It wasn’t _so great_ for any particularly plague-aligned dragons (either in ideology or in magical element), but for the majority of the clan things were doing well. Dragons were thriving off of what they grew and what they gathered within their clan’s borders.

The majority of civilian dragons were warm and welcoming to the few new dragons trickling in from time to time. Moderate banquets and feasts were had. Despite the worry, all seemed well.

* * *

Hallows sat there in the general commons. He was slouching, and was hoping that the background check they were doing was going to be okay. He knew he (quite unintentionally) had a _really dodgy_ past, but he needed out. He needed out and hoped that this would be it. This clan had a reputation for being mysterious and quite withdrawn at times from the rest of the world. It was a good way to figuratively loose others without having to go back to the tangled woods. Thinking back on the experience, how he got an opportunity in and how he met the dragon vouching for him was surreal in hindsight.

* * *

It was a lucky break that he’d overheard some talk about these reclusive dragons. He was in a bar, trying very hard to keep a low profile. If he had any sort of good luck, hiding out on the fringes of the Labyrinth was a better idea to avoid Yar and his crew than just staying near the sea of a thousand currents.

He had no money on him, but hoped that if he kept his head down nobody would pay him any mind in the bar. He kept his head down, and his ears open. That was one of the very few things that he picked up from his time on that ship. Sure he looked a little odd, but he figured that nobody would pay the slightly odd looking spiral any mind. 

As soon as a bar brawl began to break out, he booked it to the door. As he got outside, he leaned against the bar’s exterior and looked up. You could still see the stars. Night had fallen sometime after he’d entered the bar.

He heard a cough. He looked to his left.

There was a dragon in the distance, watching him. Hallows looked at him, and then looked back up to the stars.

He heard another, _very pointed_ cough. He glanced back at the dragon, who was now striding towards him. He was in a half-form and fairly tall. The antlers were a giveaway that this was an imperial.

Shadow eyes locked with shadow eyes.

“There’s better views elsewhere kid”

“I needed some air. Too much booze inside” he quickly replied to the stranger.

Hallows wasn’t _that_ dumb. Sheltered, _sure_ , but any shadowling normally would know how to keep to themselves and how to tell when somebody was being nosy. It was something he unfortunately had to learn in the past few weeks. So he kept the conversation curt.

“That’s funny. You don’t seem the drinking type. What’re you doing at a bar?”

“Wanted to be inside for a bit. Speaking of which—”

Hallows tried to get back inside, but he felt a hand firmly grip his shoulder. It was the kind of grip that said _don’t go_. Again, the sort of lesson he had to learn the hard way quite recently. He looked at the figure who was keeping him outside. The guy looked a lot more burley than the captain was. He really hoped he didn’t accidentally offend him somehow.

“ _Kid_. What are you doing _at this bar?_ ”

Hallows stared at him, and felt himself shrinking back a little at this looming figure. The tone the question had was really more of a demand. It wouldn’t hit him until he was further away from the bar that this particular bar had a reputation for being _pretty sketchy_ and he stuck out like a light sprite in the tangled woods.

“I just wanted to lay low a bit. Look I’m already in some trouble—”

At this the figure laughed a bit.

“Some scrawny little twig like you, in _trouble?_ Wonder who you’ve bothered so much to get that”

Hallows felt an embarrassed blush come up.

“Look, I just wanted to get my bearings a bit before joining some clan or another”

Hallows looked away after he made that comment. Being a dragon in a clan that was in trouble came with it’s own baggage, but being in trouble and clanless was practically a target for more unsavory groups to grab him.

“Which clan in the labyrinth are you thinking of then?”

“I dunno. Something _imposing_. I don’t think there’s really clans like that Ibiliven one where it’s a convenient place to disappear from—”

At this comment the imperial let his shoulder go to grab something on his armor.

“—but I was thinking something that’s imposing but also _not_ going to get me in more trouble”

Hallows said with a sigh shortly after, trying not to lean too hard on the bar’s doorframe.

“What makes you think that this particular clan’s a myth?” the imperial pried, his deep voice having an interested quirk to it. He was leaning against the bar’s window and examining a sword he just had on him with a casual air. Like it was nothing _odd_ in the slightest. Hallows took the cue and leaned back against the bar, looking up again.

“I mean, what kind of clan is super imposing _but also_ super isolated and reclusive? It’s common fare in the woods, but they’re usually myths to keep hatchlings in line” Hallows curtly replied.

At the very least he was keeping the conversation going long enough that he could get out of there soon. The sooner the better, given how fast the captain could probably track some lost and completely inexperienced shadow dragon like himself.

“I could give you an in into my clan. They’re looking for more flight representatives” the imperial responded smoothly.

“ _What?_ ” Hallows all but choked out. The way his voice cracked was just as embarrassing as getting caught earlier.

“I mean it. If you’re really in such dire straits it’d work out all the better”

“ _What’s the catch_? Why not _you?_ ” Hallows demanded a smidge too loudly. He paused and looked around to make sure nobody else was either outside or within earshot.

“I’m a fighter. Not as tactful with words and such. You, however—” The imperial leaned in, using his height to loom a little over Hallows.

“— seem to be _a lot better at that_ then I could be.”

Hallows felt himself gulp. He glanced around to make sure it was still just him and the imperial who was talking to him. There was still nobody and it was still night. He quickly thought about it. He had nothing else to lose, but at least this dragon seemed more upfront about everything than the captain was when he roped him onto that boat.

“ _Fine_ ”

“Now, do you want to rest a bit before we head out? It’s either a long walk or a _slightly shorter_ fly over”

* * *

And that was how he wound up being in the clan he’d assumed was just a rumor. It was much later when they finally entered the clan’s borders, and thankfully these reclusive nature dragons were quick to at least let him stay the night. The bed was nice, and despite the reputation these dragons seemed very welcoming. Some part of him hoped this wasn’t a trap to turn him into a tree or something. There already were a great number of rumors about clans that did seriously just do that in the Viridyan Labyrinth.

They were taking _quite a long time_ to sort of the background check.

He then spotted his acquaintance from before walking up to him. That tall, imposing imperial. He remained seated as he watched the other walk up and sit next to him.

“You’re in. There’s rules and things you have to follow. _Responsibilities_ and all of that” Voraldath said, his hand making some kind of a gesture.

“No problems with the background?” Hallows asked.

“None. Your statement with regards to the whole _pirates_ situation did help your case.”

Hallows sighed. Hopefully this was a _good_ new start. He was actually beginning to really _do_ things now. He was now an independent dragon who really did set out into the world on his own. Not the naïve dragon who only ever stayed close to home.


End file.
